An English-speaking painter and decorator near Narbonne

The four things that usually go wrong — and how I handle them

1. You can't be there for the quote

   You don't need to be. Send me photographs or a short video walkthrough of each room by WhatsApp or email, with rough measurements if you have them. I'll come back with a written, itemised quote — the same document I would give a client standing next to me. If the job is large or the walls look problematic, I'll visit the property myself and send you photographs of what I found before quoting.

2. You don't know who is holding your keys

   I work regularly with owners' caretakers, gardiens, neighbours and letting agencies. Tell me who holds the keys and I'll arrange access with them directly. If nobody is available locally, we agree a key handover in writing before the job starts.

3. You can't see the work happening

   I photograph every stage: the state of the walls before I start, the preparation once the surfaces are stripped and filled, and the finished result. You receive them as the job progresses, not in one batch at the end. If something unexpected turns up behind a wall — damp, salpetre, a crack that runs deeper than it looked — you see the photograph and get a revised quote before I carry on, never after.

4. You're worried about the paperwork

   Art & Co Peinture is a registered French business (SIRET 902 945 484 00019). You receive a proper French devis before the work and a facture afterwards, both of which your notaire, letting agency or accountant will accept without question. On homes completed more than two years ago, renovation work qualifies for the reduced 10% VAT rate rather than the standard 20% — that reduction is applied directly on your invoice.

What I can do for your property

• Interior painting — walls, ceilings, doors, shutters, skirting and woodwork
• Full repaint of a house between lettings or before a sale
• Exterior façade work: cleaning, crack repair, render patching and repainting
• Wooden and metal shutters: stripping, sanding, treating and repainting
• Wallpaper and wall coverings, including panoramic papers
• Damp and salpetre treatment on old stone and rubble walls before repainting
• Epoxy resin floors for garages, cellars, workshops and pool surrounds
• Decorative finishes, limewash effects and furniture restoration

How a remote job works, step by step

1. 1. You send photographs

   WhatsApp or email, whichever suits you. One photo per wall, plus a wider shot of each room, and any close-ups of cracks, damp patches or flaking paint. Rough dimensions help but aren't essential — I can estimate from the photographs and confirm on site.

2. 2. I reply in English within 24 hours

   With questions if I have them, and an indication of whether the job is straightforward or whether I need to see it myself. Being fifteen minutes from Narbonne, visiting a property costs me very little — I'd rather look than guess.

3. 3. You receive an itemised written quote

   Broken down room by room and task by task, with the surface areas, the number of coats and the products used. Free, and with no obligation. If you'd like it explained, we can talk it through on a call.

4. 4. We agree dates that suit an empty house

   Most owners prefer work done between November and March, when the house is empty and the weather is still mild enough for exterior work in this part of the Aude. That's also when my diary has the most room, so it works for both of us.

5. 5. You get photographs as the work progresses

   Before, during preparation, and at completion. Anything unexpected is photographed and quoted before I continue.

6. 6. You pay against a proper French invoice

   A deposit at the start and the balance on completion, by bank transfer. No cash, no ambiguity, and a document your accountant will accept.

Indicative prices

These are the ranges I actually work in, VAT included, so you can budget before we speak. The exact figure depends on the condition of the surfaces — which is precisely what the photographs are for.

What I know about the houses around here

Where I work

I'm based in Marcorignan and cover roughly 60 km around it — the whole of the Narbonnais, the Minervois, the Corbières, the lower Aude valley and the coast.

• Narbonne and surrounding quarters
• Lézignan-Corbières
• Ginestas, Mirepeisset, Argeliers, Bize-Minervois
• Sallèles-d'Aude, Saint-Marcel-sur-Aude, Coursan, Névian
• Gruissan, Narbonne-Plage and the coastal strip
• Homps, Olonzac and the Canal du Midi villages
• Carcassonne and the Carcassonnais

Questions I'm asked most often